Melbourne Cup hero Rekindling among popular names to note on quality card

If it's legends you are looking for there is only one place to find them – the qualified riders' race (4.45) at Leopardstown on Saturday.

One legend stands out among others. Rekindling, the horse who provided Joseph O'Brien with a memorable Melbourne Cup success in 2017, runs for just the second time since that career highlight and embarks on his second stint with the trainer.

The cost of that famous triumph may be that Rekindling is not as robust as he once was but O'Brien reports his returning six-year-old to be working well ahead of his first start since March last year when trained by Liam Howley in Australia.

O'Brien said: “It's a nice starting point for him. He's been working nicely but has been off the track a long time and we're just looking forward to getting him started back. It looks a good race for him and the conditions suit him well.”

Sea The Lion: a brilliant servant to Jarlath FaheyCredit: Caroline Norris

He is not the only popular horse on show. Sea The Lion may not be a household name but walk into Jarlath Fahey’s base in Monasterevin, County Kildare, and you will quickly realise what Sea The Lion means to the stable.

The nine-year-old has enjoyed more retirements than Michael Jordan, but Fahey believes his evergreen stable stalwart is in rude health for this reappearance.

Fahey said: “Sea The Lion had heat in a tendon last year and the plan was to retire him and bring him to the racehorses to riding classes because he's a gorgeous looking horse and has the temperament for it.

"He was back doing a bit of flat work and when the RDS was called off we got the leg scanned and it was good so we brought him back into training and everything has gone smoothly.

“We weren't expecting him to make it back to the racecourse but he has and touch wood everything will go well.”

Saturday promises to be a real family affair with the trainer’s daughter Aoife taking over in the saddle.

Fahey explained: “It's a nice place to start him out and Aoife has looked after him all of his career so it's nice to give her a chance to have a spin on him at the track.”

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